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Plan Service 48. The "standard" plan service has been completely revised and sets of plans have been issued to the field staff for selection by applicants. These amended plans embody modern standards of planning and design, and the Board of Maori Affairs will require persons building to their own design to provide plans of at least an equivalent standard. Rental Housing 49. Based on surveys carried out by the Welfare Officers, a further 30 rental houses have been allocated to Maoris in the industrial areas. Allocations are made by a committee representing the State Advances Corporation, the Department of Maori Affairs, and the local Tribal Executive and Tribal Committee. 50. It is pleasing to note that Maori tenants who have been housed under the rental scheme are reacting well to their improved environment. 51. Houses have been allocated to tenants at Auckland, Wellington, Te Kuiti, Christchurch, Wanganui, Hamilton, and Whangarei, and it is expected that during the coming year houses will be available in other centres. 52. Special provision has been made to rehouse resident owners and bona fide residents at Orakei so that the Crown's proposals to acquire and beautify the present pa area may be facilitated. It is hoped that this long-standing problem will be solved during the coming year. TRAINING OF MAORI YOUTHS 53. With the great increase in the number of the youths of the Maori race, now estimated at 2,000 males per annum, reaching working age it has been found necessary to consider plans for their absorption in the industrial, commercial, and professional life of the country. To this end, the Maori Education and Employment Committee, comprising representatives of the Education Department, Labour and Employment Department, Rehabilitation Department, Department of Industries and Commerce, and the Department of Maori Affairs, has been set up to formulate ways and means of—{a) Training boys in some worth-while skilled trade. ' (b) Increasing the tempo of home building for the Maori people. (c) The employment of youths generally. 54. Following recommendations by this Committee, the Minister of Maori Affairs has approved a scheme of trade training which basically follows broadly the lines of the scheme operating in respect of the training of ex-servicemen by the Rehabilitation Department. At the outset, training will be confined to the carpentry trade. 55. It is proposed to commence on a limited basis and develop it gradually. The number of trainees will be restricted, as nearly as possible, to requirements under general apprenticeship orders —i.e., one apprentice to three journeymen. 56. Provision is also being made for youths already employed by the Department to be brought under the training scheme, due allowance being made for training already received. 57. Generally a prerequisite to the acceptance of trainees should be a minimum of two years' secondary education, although this requirement can be waived under special circumstances in terms of the Public Service Commission's conditions of apprenticeship. 58. It is proposed to give all trainees at least six months' extensive workshop training and then to divert them to jobs where they will be engaged in actual housebuilding. In this way trainees will feel that they are being usefully employed during their term of training and their efforts will also in general benefit the house-building programme for the Maori.people.

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